No. 97, Part I, 20 May 1996

This is Part I of the Open Media Research Institute's Daily Digest. Part I
is a compilation of news concerning Russia, Transcaucasia and Central
Asia. Part II, covering Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe is
distributed simultaneously as a second document. Back issues of the Daily
Digest, and other information about OMRI, are available through OMRI's WWW
pages: http://www.omri.cz/Index.html
RUSSIA
CIS PRESIDENTS ENDORSE YELTSIN . . . The 17 May CIS summit in Moscow ended
with a declaration of support for continued political and economic reform
in Russia and President Boris Yeltsin's re-election campaign, Russian and
Western media reported. Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev called on
Russian voters to make the "right decision," while Uzbek President Islam
Karimov declared that Yeltsin's opponent, Gennadii Zyuganov, is
"completely unacceptable." Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov referred to
Yeltsin as a "wise and gifted politician." The 11 non-Russian leaders also
rejected any move to restore the Soviet Union. -- Roger Kangas
. . . AND CALL FOR FURTHER INTEGRATION. The CIS leaders agreed to examine
a six-part plan to address economic and trade cooperation, military and
peacekeeping activities, crime fighting measures, border protection, and
greater coordination of foreign policies, ITAR-TASS reported. UN
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali, who addressed the summit, called
for the CIS to increase its ties with the UN, noting that CIS peacekeeping
in Abkhazia and Tajikistan are "positive examples" of the benefits of
regional cooperation. The presidents noted that further cooperation can
only take place voluntarily. President Yeltsin and his Kazakhstani
counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, stressing that other CIS states are not
being pressured to join the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan- Kyrgyzstan customs
union, Russian Public TV (ORT) reported. -- Roger Kangas
YELTSIN ON UKRAINE, BELARUS. Speaking after the CIS summit, President
Yeltsin again refused to set a date for his long-delayed visit to Ukraine,
Russian media reported on 17 May. Yeltsin reaffirmed that he would only go
to Kyiv "for a large-scale political visit" that included the signing of a
"comprehensive treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, which
does not exist yet." He confirmed that the Black Sea Fleet issue continues
to block the conclusion of the treaty, although he expressed hope that the
deadlock would be broken soon. Visiting Omsk on 19 May, Yeltsin mildly
rebuked Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, ITAR-TASS reported.
Yeltsin said he had advised Lukashenka to release opposition activists
arrested during recent anti-government demonstrations. "In Russia and the
other CIS countries," said Yeltsin, "people are free to express their
opinions and hold meetings." -- Scott Parrish
DUMA FAILS TO OVERRIDE VETO ON ELECTION MONITORING LAW. The State Duma
fell short of the 300 votes needed to override the Federation Council's
veto of a law on election monitoring, ITAR-TASS reported on 17 May. The
law would have allowed private citizens to become election monitors
(current law only permits representatives of political parties to do so),
and would have allowed local courts to declare an election invalid within
their jurisdiction. It also proposed to fund a parallel count in a sample
2% of the districts. The Duma may appeal to the Constitutional Court on
the grounds that the law was passed on 17 April but only vetoed by the
Council on 15 May. The constitution stipulates that with a few exceptions,
laws not reviewed within two weeks by the Council are considered approved
and sent to the president. -- Laura Belin
YELTSIN PROMISES TO MAINTAIN STABILITY, PLAYS REGIONAL CARD. . .
Campaigning in the Siberian regions of Krasnoyarsk and Omsk, President
Yeltsin played up his role as a guarantor of stability and a provider for
his constituents' needs. In an interview with a Krasnoyarsk television
company, Yeltsin promised not to "surrender the strategic, democratic
heights" to forces opposing reform, NTV reported on 17 May. He told a
group of supporters in Omsk, "I will not allow a civil war under any
circumstances," Russian TV (RTR) reported on 19 May. The same day, the
president signed a power-sharing agreement with the Omsk Oblast
administration, and signed a decree to work out a long-term federal
program for the social and economic development of Siberia, ITAR-TASS
reported. -- Laura Belin
. . . AND HINTS OF IMPENDING CABINET RESHUFFLE. In a 19 May interview with
an Omsk television company, President Yeltsin said he might be willing to
appoint "fresher people" to his government in order to increase the
public's confidence, ITAR-TASS reported. "Why not take interesting ideas
from [Grigorii] Yavlinskii?" he asked rhetorically. The move indicates
that Yeltsin is willing to meet some of Yavlinskii's demands for an
electoral alliance. He already has gained the backing of most prominent
figures in Russia's "democratic" camp. On 18 May, Yegor Gaidar's party
Russia's Democratic Choice officially endorsed Yeltsin's re-election bid,
Russian media reported. -- Laura Belin
MORE ON YAVLINSKII'S DEMANDS. The 18 May edition of Izvestiya published
the full text of the letter Yavlinskii gave President Yeltsin during their
16 May meeting, which outlined in detail his "non-negotiable" terms for
supporting the president. In addition to calling for an end to the war in
Chechnya and significant changes in economic policy, the letter demanded
that any decrees on economic and defense policy be signed by the prime
minister as well as the president. It also said Yeltsin must accept the
resignations of the prime minister, first deputy prime minister, defense
minister, and chief of staff by 25 May--terms the president is unlikely to
accept. Yeltsin said on 17 May that he had offered Yavlinskii the job of
first deputy prime minister, but that Yavlinskii had insisted on more.
Appearing on RTR on 19 May, Yavlinskii denied that he was seeking the post
of prime minister for himself or issuing an "ultimatum" to Yeltsin. --
Laura Belin
RUNOFF TO BE HELD IN ST. PETERSBURG ELECTION. Mayor Anatolii Sobchak and
his former first deputy, Vladimir Yakovlev, will face each other in the
runoff of St. Petersburg's gubernatorial election after the two finished
first and second, respectively, in the first round on 19 May, Russian and
Western media reported. Out of a field of 14 candidates, Sobchak received
28.8% to Yakovlev's 21.8%; turnout was about 49%. Four candidates withdrew
from the race the day before the election, including local Yabloko leader
Igor Artemev who threw his support behind Yakovlev, notorious local
ultra-nationalist Yurii Belyaev, and hard-line Communist Yurii Terentev.
The runoff is scheduled for 26 May. Sobchak won the 1991 mayoral election
in the first round with 66% of the vote. -- Anna Paretskaya
YELTSIN TO VISIT CHECHNYA REGARDLESS OF RISK. President Yeltsin has
reaffirmed his intention to go through with his planned visit to Chechnya,
according to Russian TV (RTR) on 18 May. Also on 18 May, pro- Moscow head
of state Doku Zavgaev said that key questions relating to the Chechen
economy and the 16 June Chechen parliamentary election will be resolved
during Yeltsin's visit, NTV reported. On 17 May, the Duma adopted in
principle an amnesty for both Russian and Chechen fighters in the Chechen
war with the exception of those who perpetrated hostage- takings or
terrorist acts, Russian Public TV (ORT) reported. During talks at an
undisclosed location in Chechnya on 16-17 May, acting Chechen President
Zelimkhan Yandarbiev and OSCE Grozny mission chairman Tim Guldimann
discussed the possibility of Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev
acting as mediator between the Russian government and the separatist
Chechen leadership, NTV reported on 18 May. -- Liz Fuller
MORE GOVERNORS SACKED FOR BUDGET MISUSE. President Yeltsin has dismissed
the administration heads of Vologda and Amur oblasts, Nikolai Podgornov
and Vladimir Dyachenko, ITAR-TASS and NTV reported on 17 May. Both
governors were sacked for misusing federal budget funds, violating federal
legislation, and accumulating wage arrears. Podgornov was already
suspended from his post in March. The governors of Saratov and Arkhangelsk
oblasts were sacked for the same reason in February. -- Anna Paretskaya
RUSSIAN-BRITISH ESPIONAGE SCANDAL CLOSED? The ongoing espionage row
between London and Moscow escalated on 17 May when Russia announced the
expulsion of four British diplomats, Russian and Western agencies
reported. Russia claims the expelled diplomats were intelligence agents
who were implicated by a Russian citizen recently arrested on espionage
charges. London immediately retaliated by expelling four Russian diplomats
from Britain. Earlier, Russia had threatened to expel up to nine British
diplomats, but negotiations appear to have produced a compromise. AFP,
citing Interfax, quoted anonymous Russian diplomats as saying Russia
regarded the mutual expulsions as closing the incident. However, on 18
May, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigorii Karasin called on London
to reconsider its "unjustified and unacceptable" decision. -- Scott Parrish
RUSSIA OFFERS TO COMPENSATE UKRAINE FOR TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Russia
has agreed to forgive $450 million worth of Ukraine's natural gas and oil
debts as compensation for the tactical nuclear weapons given up by Ukraine
in 1991, Reuters reported on 18 May, citing Ukrainian news agencies. The
deal was supposedly struck by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin
and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma following the previous day's CIS
summit meeting. The report quoted UNIAN as saying Chernomyrdin made the
deal conditional on Ukrainian agreement to Russian proposals on dividing
the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet, while citing Interfax as saying no
progress had been made on this issue. -- Doug Clarke
REACTIONS TO YELTSIN'S DECREE ON CONSCRIPTION. Responding to what many
view as a campaign maneuver, Communist deputies attacked President
Yeltsin's 16 May decree abolishing conscription, Russian agencies reported
on 17 May. Duma Security Committee Chairman Viktor Illyukhin (KPRF)
challenged Yeltsin's authority to decree such a change, arguing that it
requires new federal legislation. Lt. Gen. Mikhail Surkov (KPRF), deputy
chairman of the Duma Defense Committee, said Russia cannot afford a
professional army because every volunteer costs 4-5 times more than a
conscript. However, Nikolai Yegorov, head of the presidential
administration, contended on 18 May that the financial implications of the
decree can be covered by the federal budget. Meanwhile, Prime Minister
Viktor Chernomyrdin commissioned Defense Minister Pavel Grachev and other
security ministers to begin preparations for the transition to a
professional army. -- Doug Clarke and Constantine Dmitriev
RUSSIAN "DAVOS" FORUM CONVENES. Business and political representatives
from 63 regions gathered in Yekaterinburg on 17 May for the opening of the
"Russian economic forum," sponsored by Sverdlovsk Governor Eduard Rossel.
The meeting formed a new organization, "For the socio-economic progress of
Russia," which aspires to represent regional interests in Moscow. Little
seems to have emerged by way of concrete proposals, other than the usual
calls for tax reform, respect for the law, and compensation for defrauded
investors. Nizhnii Novgorod Governor Boris Nemtsov told the gathering that
the presidential election is a "nightmare" for the Russian economy,
because it has caused a surge in federal spending, while scaring away
foreign investors. -- Peter Rutland
TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPING MANDATE IN ABKHAZIA EXTENDED. Participants in the CIS
summit in Moscow on 17 May endorsed the agreement taken on 16 May by CIS
foreign ministers to extend for a further two months the mandate of the
Russian peacekeeping troops currently deployed along the border between
the breakaway republic of Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia, Western
agencies reported. The Georgian parliament has for months demanded,
without success, that the peacekeepers' mandate be broadened to enable
them to defend ethnic Georgian refugees who wish to return to their homes
in Abkhazia. -- Liz Fuller
GEORGIAN COMMUNISTS UNITE. The Stalinist Communist Party of Georgia
decided on 18 May to unite with the Georgian Communist Party, led by Ivane
Tsiklauri, and part of the United Communist Party, led by Panteleimon
Giorgadze, Iprinda news agency reported same day. The Stalinist party's
plenary session also decided that its leader, Grigol Oniani, would work as
acting first secretary of the new party's central committee until its
first congress, scheduled for 6 September. -- Irakli Tsereteli
RUSSIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER AGREEMENT. President Yeltsin and his
Azerbaijani counterpart, Heidar Aliev, signed an agreement in Moscow on 17
May aimed at strengthening border controls between Dagestan and
Azerbaijan, AFP reported, citing Interfax. The agreement covers
information exchanges; joint measures to fight terrorism, arms and drug
trafficking, and illegal immigration into Russia; and the joint training
of border troops. It is not clear whether the agreement provides for the
deployment Russian troops on Azerbaijani territory. -- Liz Fuller
CONFUSION CONTINUES IN TAJIKISTAN. Sixty-four government soldiers are
reported to have been killed during heavy fighting near the town of
Komsomolabad in the Tavil-Dara region on 15-16 May, according to NTV.
Tajik Interior Ministry troops and members of the CIS peacekeeping force
have set up checkpoints on the road from Komsomolabad to Dushanbe.
Meanwhile, the demonstrations in the northern Tajik cities of Khojent,
Ura-Tyube, Shakhristan, and Isfana appear to have ended, RFE/RL reported
on 18 May. The protesters demanded the equal distribution of humanitarian
aid, an adequate supply of food, and the removal of local government
officials. About 75 officials in the north are reported to have been
replaced already. In other news, AFP reported on 19 May that the Tajik
opposition has agreed to extend the ceasefire that was due to expire on 26
May. -- Bruce Pannier
[As of 12:00 CET]
Compiled by Victor Gomez
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Copyright (c) 1996 Open Media Research Institute, Inc.
All rights reserved. ISSN 1211-1570
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